Monday, May 12, 2014 10:48:20 AM America/Chicago

We are so excited to be featuring Japanese designer Mieko Mintz here at Details. Mieko creates one of kind contemporary garments and accessories from heritage rich Kantha cloth. The cloth is handcrafted from textiles collected by Mieko’s world travels, the textiles are then carefully arranged, layered and bound together by hand stitching creating beyond beautiful fields of color and texture with a luxuriously soft hand. Mieko’s Kantha cloth garments are created with the labor of love, each one hand made and as unique and inspiring as the next.

Kantha is a traditional type of embroidery with a long and distinguished heritage. The handcrafted cloth was popularized in eastern South Asia, specifically Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal and Odisha. Old saris along with silk or cotton cloth are stacked on each other, the common running stitch covers the entire cloth binding the layers together and creating a new fabric, the Kantha cloth, which is then traditionally used for a wide array of garments and household coverings.

Each unique creation tells its own story and holds its own history. The cloth is believed to symbolize prayer and ward off the “evil eye.” Traditionally Kantha were supposed to help keep their wearers safe from harm and aid in obtaining happiness and prosperity, which Mieko wishes for her garment’s wearers as well.

Born and raised in Sothern Japan, Mieko Mintz is now a New Yorker selling her line of culturally rich clothing in her small Soho shop. Her signature line includes jackets, scarves and jewelry, each with its own unique variety of colors and prints. We are pleased to have a carefully curated collection of jackets and scarves at Details this spring for a short time. Mieko Mintz is a must see, the hand and the detail work in the cloth is an art in itself that is deserving of a close and appreciative eye.